La Geografía de las Escuelas Autónomas: Mapping Charter School Access for English Learners in Texas

• In Event: 64.056 - School Choice at Scale: Critical Examinations of Access and (In)Equity at City, State, and National Levels

Abstract

School choice has become a prominent education reform strategy, particularly in urban areas where immigrant families often reside. Yet little is known about whether charter schools expand educational access and equity for English learners (ELs). Using data from Texas and the U.S. Census Bureau, this paper investigates patterns of charter school access for ELs in Texas. Specifically, we use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to compare EL enrollment in traditional public schools to charter schools located in the same local education market. We find striking variation in EL representation across different local education markets within the same state. This paper adds to a growing body of research on how market reforms are shaping educational opportunity for underserved students such as ELs.

Authors

• Madeline Mavrogordato, Michigan State University

• Tanner S Delpier, Michigan State University